Bible Society work in the South Pacific
| The Bible
Society in the South Pacific PO Box 5173  RaiwaqaSuva Fiji Tel: +(679)-383988 |
BSSP
website
|
Country Data:
| Area: |
86,027 sq.km. (land area) |
|
| Population: | 2,449,450 (2001) | |
| Annual Per Capita Income: | US$750 –
US$33,476 (average income varies by island) |
|
| Literate Population: | 75% | |
| Religions in % of Population (2000): | Protestant |
55.4%
|
| Roman Catholic |
21.2%
|
|
| Hindu |
11.4%
|
|
| Mormon |
2.9%
|
|
| Muslim |
2.6%
|
|
| Bahá’í |
1.4%
|
|
| Other |
5.1%
|
|
| Official Languages: | Bislama, Cook Islands Maori, English, French, Samoan, Tokelauan, Tongan, Tuvaluan | |
Bible Society Data:
| Beginning of organised work: | 1815 | |
| Date of formation of Bible Society: | 1975 | |
| Date of Associate Membership in UBS: | 1996 | |
| Scripture distribution in 2005: | |||||
|
Bibles
|
New
Testaments |
||||
|
59,556
|
5,104
|
1,743
|
0
|
28,438
|
0
|
| Islands served: |
Population
|
Beginning
of organised work
|
| American Samoa |
57,291
|
1830
|
| Cook Islands |
20,200
|
1823
|
| Fiji (& Rotuma) |
812,918
|
1839
|
| French Polynesia |
242,073
|
1815
|
| Kiribati |
84,678
|
1856
|
| Nauru |
10,605
|
1888
|
| New Caledonia |
209,222
|
1840
|
| Niue |
1,700
|
1861
|
| Pitcairn |
49
|
1846
|
| Samoa |
229,979
|
1830
|
| Solomon Islands |
455,429
|
1879
|
| Tokelau |
1,471
|
1861
|
| Tonga |
109,082
|
1832
|
| Tuvalu |
10,588
|
1861
|
| Vanuatu |
189,036
|
1848
|
| Wallis et Futuna |
15,129
|
1869
|
Bible drought at an end for Tonga's Christians (August 2007)
Suva children enjoy fun and fellowship (July 2007)
Children’s Bible an instant hit in Fiji and Vanuatu (March 2007)
Understandable Scriptures for children of the South Pacific (November 2006)
Translation for all in the South Pacific (November 2006)
Rebel tamed to bring love to others (November 2006)
God’s Word for the scattered communities of the Solomon Islands (November 2005)
Community effort pays off for Futunian Bible project (November 2005)
The ‘last place on earth’: Gospel in the Saa language (Vanuatu) (April/May 2005)
Translators bring Varisi New Testament to their people (Solomon Is.) (April/May 2005)
Solomon Islands – many languages, many challenges (April/May 2005)
Opportunity 21 projects aim to reach as many islanders as possible (October 2003)
UBS Vice-President made honorary Samoan chief (Samoa) (e-230) (March 2003)
Preparations under way to meet Scripture needs in Solomon Islands (e-230) (Mar. 2003)
Solomon Islands translators face many challenges (November 2002)
Good progress with Bible translation work in Vanuatu (November 2002)
‘I loved it so much’: reviser of Kiribati Bible reflects on his work (November 2002)
Portion for Fijians “bittersweet” (September 2002)
Good news for the people of Kiribati (September 2002)
Translator braves the waves to save bookshop (September 2002)
Message of Hope (September 2002)
‘I ask only to live long enough to finish this translation’ (Vanuatu) (March 2002)
Generous teenager gives her new computer to Bible work (Jan/Feb 2002)
Islanders welcome Futunian New Testament (Dec. 2001)
Experiment speeds up Solomon Islands translation project (July/Aug 2001)
The Bible in Sa – “Our hope for the new millennium” (Vanuatu) (June 2001)
A great Leap of Faith (Wanurr, Vanuatu) (June 2001)
New Scripture Portion for Conflict-torn Pacific Islands (September 2000)
Rotuman Bible Brings New Hope (December 1999)
Friendly and Fiji Islands – A BFBS Report (1869) (December 1999)
God’s Multicoloured Family! (March 1999)
Gari Bible Marks a Milestone of Change in the Solomons (February 1999)
Finally, to Feed the Hungry – Vanuatu’s Bread of Life (September 1998)
Navigating Around the Solomons (June 1998)
Bibles Buried as a Mark of Respect (June 1998)
New Bibles for Pacific Islanders (June 1998)
